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| United States Patent |
5,660,393
|
|
Dreger
|
August 26, 1997
|
Method of playing a card-based wagering game
Abstract
A card-based wagering game with multiple wagers is disclosed. Players may
place two wagers on a five card poker hand as well as a wager on the
occurrence of a card within a range of cards. Three cards are dealt to the
dealer and two cards are dealt to each player. The dealer then reveals
each of his cards in turn. If the first dealer card falls within the range
of cards selected by the player, the player wins this wager. After the
dealer reveals his second card, the player may withdraw the second wager
on the player's poker hand. When all of the dealer's cards are revealed,
each player's poker hand is formed by combining the dealer's cards with
the player's cards. The players' hands are then resolved according to a
pay table.
| Inventors:
|
Dreger; Kurt (1616 Portland Ave., Savanna, IL 61074)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
680444 |
| Filed:
|
July 15, 1996 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
273/292; 273/274 |
| Intern'l Class: |
A63F 001/00 |
| Field of Search: |
273/292,274,309
463/13,12
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
| 5019973 | May., 1991 | Wilcox et al. | 463/13.
|
| 5098107 | Mar., 1992 | Boylan et al. | 273/292.
|
| 5288081 | Feb., 1994 | Breeding | 273/292.
|
| 5322295 | Jun., 1994 | Cabot et al. | 273/292.
|
| 5382025 | Jan., 1995 | Sklansky et al. | 273/292.
|
| 5417430 | May., 1995 | Breeding | 273/292.
|
| 5431407 | Jul., 1995 | Hofberg et al. | 273/292.
|
| 5437451 | Aug., 1995 | Fulton | 463/13.
|
| 5437462 | Aug., 1995 | Breeding | 273/292.
|
| 5454570 | Oct., 1995 | Karal | 273/292.
|
| 5531448 | Jul., 1996 | Moody | 273/292.
|
Primary Examiner: Layno; Benjamin H.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Burns; Ian F.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. Method of playing a wagering card game using a standard fifty two card
deck comprising the following steps:
(a) each player placing at least a first and second hand-wager, giving each
player an option to place at least one card-wager, said card-wager being
placed on a range of card values,
(b) dealing a first, second, and third dealer card, dealing two player
cards to each player, at least said second and third dealer cards being
dealt face down whereby the value of said second and third dealer cards is
not immediately revealed,
(c) revealing said first dealer card,
(d) resolving said card-wager for each player who placed a card-wager, said
card-wager being paid if said first dealer card is within said range of
card values, said card-wager being collected if said first dealer card is
outside said range of possible card values,
(e) revealing said second dealer card,
(f) giving each player the opportunity to examine said player cards and
said first and second dealer cards,
(g) giving each player a choice to withdraw said second hand-wager,
(h) revealing said third dealer card,
(i) forming a five card poker hand for each player from each player's said
two player cards and said first, second, and third dealer cards,
(j) resolving said first and second hand-wagers for each player based on
the poker hand ranking of each player's five card hand, said second
hand-wager being resolved if said second hand-wager was not withdrawn.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said second hand-wager is twice the amount
of said second hand-wager.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said first and second hand-wagers are paid
according to a predetermined poker pay table.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the card-wager may be placed on ranges
comprising the following:
(a) six or lower,
(b) seven, eight, or nine, and
(c) ten or higher where jacks, queens, kings, and aces are all higher than
ten.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein the ranges in (a) and (c) pay one to one
and the range in (b) pays two to one.
6. Method of playing a wagering card game using a standard fifty two card
deck comprising the following steps:
(a) each player placing at least a first and second hand-wager, giving each
player an option to place at least one card-wager, said card-wager being
placed on at least one of the following ranges:
(i) a range of possible card values;
(ii) a particular card of any suit;
(iii) any card of a particular suit;
(iv) a particular card of a particular suit; and
(v) a combination of the above ranges,
(b) dealing a first, second and third dealer card, dealing two player cards
to each player, at least said second and third dealer cards being dealt
face down whereby the value of said second and third dealer cards is not
immediately revealed,
(c) revealing said first dealer card,
(d) resolving said card-wager for each player who placed a card-wager, said
card-wager being paid if said first dealer card is within said range on
which said card-wager was placed, said card-wager being collected if said
first dealer card is outside said range on which said card-wager was
placed,
(e) revealing said second dealer card,
(f) giving each player the opportunity to examine said player cards and
said first and second dealer cards,
(g) giving each player a choice to withdraw said second hand-wager,
(h) revealing said third dealer card,
(i) forming a five card poker hand for each player from each player's said
two player cards and said first, second, and third dealer cards,
(j) resolving said first hand-wager and said second hand-wager for each
player based on the poker hand ranking of each player's five card hand,
said second hand-wager being resolved if said second hand-wager was not
withdrawn.
7. Method of playing a wagering card game using a standard fifty two card
deck comprising the following steps:
(a) each player placing at least a first, second, and third hand-wager,
giving each player an option to place at least one card-wager, said
card-wager being placed on a range of card values,
(b) dealing a first, second, and third dealer card, dealing two player
cards to each player, at least said second and third dealer cards being
dealt face down whereby the value of said second and third dealer cards is
not immediately revealed,
(c) revealing said first dealer card,
(d) resolving said card-wager for each player who placed a card-wager, said
card-wager being paid if said first dealer card is within said range of
card values, said card-wager being collected if said first dealer card is
outside said range of possible card values,
(e) giving each player the opportunity to examine said player cards and
said first dealer card,
(f) giving each player a choice to withdraw said third hand-wager,
(g) revealing said second dealer card,
(h) giving each player a choice to withdraw said second hand-wager,
(i) revealing said third dealer card,
(j) forming a five card poker hand for each player for each players said
two player cards and said first, second, and third dealer cards,
(k) resolving said first, second, and third hand-wagers based on the poker
hand ranking of each player's five card hand, said second and third
hand-wagers being resolved if said second and third hand-wagers were not
withdrawn.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the second and third hand-wager is twice
the first hand-wager.
9. The method of claim 7 wherein said range of card values comprises at
least one of the following:
(a) a range of possible card values,
(b) a particular card of any suit,
(c) any card of a particular suit,
(d) a particular card of a particular suit, and
(e) a combination of the above ranges.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a card-based wagering game which includes
means for wagering on the occurrence of a particular card or the
occurrence of a card within a range of cards in addition to means for
wagering on a poker hand.
2. Description of Related Art
Card-based wagering games are well known in the art. Many different games
have been developed and many variations of traditional card games, such as
poker, have also been developed. Some examples of card-based wagering
games can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,081 to Breeding, U.S. Pat. No.
5,382,025 to Sklansky et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,462 to Breeding, and
U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,570 to Karal. However, the games disclosed in these
references fail to provide a means whereby a player may wager on the
occurrence of a particular card or the occurrence of a card within a range
of cards. Many players enjoy wagering on the occurrence of a single random
or near random event. This is demonstrated by the popularity of games such
as roulette, keno, lotteries, and craps in which a player may place a
wager on a number or range of numbers. Many players are intrigued and
excited by attempting to guess the outcome of a single event random game.
From a casino's or house's point of view, single event wagering games are
desirable because these games are highly profitable. Many players are
attracted to this type of game and the average wager is high. Furthermore,
single event random games can be inexpensive to administer, especially if
they can be integrated into other games.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
1. Objects of the Invention
It is an object of the invention to provide a card-based wagering game
which includes means for wagering on the occurrence of a single random
event.
It is a another object of the present invention to provide an entertaining
wagering game which may be played in a casino or other location.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an exciting and
interesting wagering game that is easy to learn, and is based on well
known poker hands and ranking of poker hands.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a wagering game
based on five card poker which includes means for wagering on a single
random event.
A further object of the invention is to provide a wagering game which is
flexible and allows a house or casino to change the payout of the game to
achieve maximum income.
Another object of the invention is to provide increased profit to casinos
over prior art games by requiring few cards dealt per game and decreasing
the time required for each game.
2. Brief Description of the Invention
In accordance with the above objectives, the present invention may be based
on a table or in an electronic device, such as a video gaming machine. The
game may be played in almost any setting, but it is especially well
adapted to casinos. Each game begins with the players placing a number of
wagers. At least two of the wagers are called hand-wagers and will be
resolved based upon the player's final poker hand. However, at least one
of the hand-wagers may be withdrawn during the course of a game. Each
player may also place a card-wager on a range of possible cards, a
particular card of any suit, any card of a particular suit, a particular
card of a particular suit, or any combination of the above. In the
preferred embodiment of the invention, three separate ranges are provided.
The first range represents card values six or lower. The second range
includes cards seven, eight, and nine. The third range represents cards
ten or higher with jacks being eleven, queens being twelve, kings being
thirteen, and aces being fourteen. In the preferred embodiment, the second
range pays two to one while the first and third ranges pay one to one.
Many variations are possible in the ranges, number of ranges, and pay
ratios.
Once the players have placed their bets, the dealer will deal two cards to
each player and three to himself. All of the cards are dealt face down so
that the players will not be able to see their values. The dealer will
then turn his first card over to reveal its value. The value of the
dealer's first card will determine the outcome of the card-wager. If the
dealer's first card falls within the range or ranges selected by the
player, the player will win. If the dealer's first card falls outside of
the range or ranges selected by the player, the player will lose and the
dealer will collect the player's wager.
After the dealer has paid or collected all of the card-wagers, the dealer
will reveal the second dealer card. At this point, each player will have
the option of withdrawing his second hand-wager or letting the hand-wager
continue. Each player may make this decision based upon the four cards,
two player cards and two dealer cards, that are known to the player.
Once each of the players has made a decision regarding the second
hand-wager, the dealer will reveal his third and final card and proceed to
resolve each of the player's wagers. If a player has a winning hand, that
player may be paid according to a pay table.
A second embodiment of the invention allows players to place three
hand-wagers. The second and third hand-wagers may be withdrawn by the
player during the course of the game. After the dealer has dealt the cards
and revealed his first dealer card, the card-wagers will be resolved and
each player will have the option of withdrawing the third hand-wager. At
this point, the players know three of the five cards that will make up
their final poker hand. After each player has made a decision whether or
not to withdraw the third hand-wager, the dealer will reveal the second
dealer card. Each player will then have an opportunity to withdraw their
second hand-wager. At this point each player knows four of the five cards
which will make up his final poker hand. Once each player has made his
decision, the dealer will reveal the third and last dealer card and will
proceed to resolve each player's hand. The players may be paid according
to a standard poker pay table.
BRIEF DESCRPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a top view of a table layout of one embodiment of the game of the
invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart of one embodiment of the game of the invention.
FIG. 3 is a top view of a table layout of a second embodiment of the
invention.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a second embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 5 is a top view of a table showing three card-wager positions, each
representing a different range of card values.
______________________________________
REFERENCE NUMERALS
______________________________________
10 table
12a-g player position
14 dealer position
16 chip area
18 dealer card area
20 dealer card area
22 dealer card area
24a-g player card area
26a-g player card area
28a-g hand-wager position
30a-g hand-wager position
32 card-wager region
34 card-wager region
36 card-wager region
40 decision block
42 block
44 decision block
46 block
48 block
50 decision block
52 block
54 block
56 block
58 decision block
60 block
62 block
70 table
72a-g player position
74 dealer position
76 chip area
78 dealer card area
80 dealer card area
82 dealer card area
84a-g player card position
86a-g player card position
88a-g hand-wager position
90a-g hand-wager position
92a-g hand-wager position
94 card-wager region
96 card-wager region
98 card-wager region
110 block
112 block
114 decision block
116 block
118 block
120 decision block
122 block
124 block
126 decision block
128 block
130 block
132 decision block
134 block
136 block
138 block
150 card-wager region
152 card-wager region
154 card-wager region
156 card-wager region
______________________________________
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As seen in FIG. 1, a standard semicircular casino gaming table 10 may be
used to implement the game of the present invention. Table 10 has a
playing surface which indicates a number of regions for cards and wagers.
The playing surface is preferably colorful felt but many other surfaces
may be used. In the preferred embodiment, seven player positions 12a-g are
indicated on the playing surface near the edge of the table 10. The
playing surface may be designed to accommodate any number of players.
However, seven players are generally the maximum number which can be
efficiently managed by a single dealer. A dealer position 14 is indicated
on the flat edge of the table so that the dealer can face each of the
players and observe their play.
Dealers position 14 includes a chip area 16 which may be used to store
chips, tokens, coins, or bills. Dealers position 14 also includes dealer
card areas 18, 20, and 22. When the dealer deals cards, he would place
common or dealer cards in these areas. Dealer card area 18 may be slightly
removed from dealer card areas 20 and 22 to indicate the special nature of
the card dealt to this area. As will be discussed below, the card dealt to
dealer card area 18 is used to determine the outcome of each player's
optional card-wager.
Each player position 12a-g is provided with player card areas 24a-g and
26a-g. These areas are for receiving player cards when the game is dealt.
Each player position 12a-g is also provided with two hand-wager positions
28a-g and 30a-g. At the beginning of each game, each player places
hand-wagers in the form of chips, tokens, coins, or bills in these
positions. The outcome of the hand-wagers will be based upon the poker
hand formed by combining the player's cards with the dealer's cards.
Hand-wager positions 28a-g and 30a-g allow the dealer to clearly see the
amount of the hand-wager. In the preferred embodiment, the player may make
two separate hand-wagers; the first is required and may not be withdrawn
by the player, the second is optional and may be withdrawn by the player
at a later stage of the game. In the preferred embodiment, the optional
hand-wager must be twice the required wager. It is understood that the
number of hand-wagers and their characteristics may be different and still
achieve the objectives of the present invention. For example, there could
be three hand-wagers and each wager could be any value desired by the
player.
Three concentric semicircular card-wager regions 32, 34, and 36 are
provided for card-wagers. Each card-wager region 32, 34, and 36 represent
a card or range of possible card values. In the preferred embodiment of
the invention, card-wager region 32 represents cards with value of six or
lower. Card-wager region 34 represents cards with value seven, eight, or
nine. Card-wager region 36 represents cards with value ten or higher with
jacks being eleven, queens being twelve, kings being thirteen, and aces
being fourteen. In the preferred embodiment, card-wager regions 32 and 36
pay one to one and card-wager region 34 pays two to one.
At the beginning of each game, each player would have the option of placing
a card-wager on one or more of card-wager regions 32, 34, and 36. The
dealer would then deal the cards and would reveal the first dealer card
which would be placed on dealer card area 18. The value of the first
dealer card would determine if each player's card-wager wins or loses. For
example, if a player places a five dollar wager on card-wager region 34,
representing card values seven, eight, and nine, and the first dealer card
is a seven, the player would win ten dollars. If a player places a five
dollar wager on card-wager region 32, representing card values six or
lower, and the first dealer card is an ace, the player would lose his
wager of five dollars. If a player places a five dollar wager on
card-wager region 36, representing ten or higher, and the first dealer
card is an ace, the player would win five dollars.
It is understood that the number of card-wager lines and the card values
they represent may be changed. For example, there may be only one line
representing any range of possible card values. There may also be thirteen
card-wager lines with each line representing a single card and there may
be a region which represents a particular card of a particular suit, such
as the king of hearts or the ace of spades. Furthermore, the pay ratios of
each line may be changed. For example, a line with a small value range may
have a pay ratio of three to one while a larger range may have a pay ratio
of one to one or even a fractional payout such as one-half to one. It is
also understood that the shape of card-wager regions 32, 34, and 36 may be
different. Instead of concentric semicircular lines, the card-wager
regions may be circular, polygonal, or grid shaped as in a roulette game.
FIG. 5 presents one alternative arrangement of the card-wager regions.
Card-wager regions 150, 152, 154, and 156 are provided. Card-wager region
150 represents a particular card of any suit, aces, which pays five to
one. Card-wager region 152 represents any card in a particular suit,
clubs, and pays one and a half to one. Card-wager region 154 represents a
particular card of a particular suit, king of hearts, and pays 20 to 1.
Card-wager region 156 represents a combination of a suit and a particular
card of any suit, diamonds or deuces, and pays one to one.
The card-wagers provide a number of benefits over the prior art. The
card-wager regions provide an interesting and entertaining addition to the
card game. Unlike games disclosed in prior art references, the card-wagers
allow players to wager on the occurrence of a certain card. This is
attractive to many players who like to wager on the outcome of a near
random event. The wager lines also allows the house to increase income per
game. If the card-wager regions are properly arranged with appropriate
ranges and payout ratios, the house will have better odds than the players
and the house will win in the majority of games. This can greatly increase
the house's drop or income.
In addition, the card-wagers provide unparalleled flexibility. The present
invention may be changed to produce different payout percentages without
confusing players and requiring them to relearn the game. The card-wager
regions, ranges, and payout ratios can be designed to achieve many
different payout percentages (the average percentage of a wager that is
paid to players) yet players can quickly and easily adapt to changes in
the game. The players need only read the values and payout ratios
indicated on the table or on electronic display to quickly understand this
portion of the game. The flexibility of the present invention can be used
to prevent players from getting bored with the game. The game may be
changed at suitable intervals to maintain player interest.
The present invention also has the advantage that it requires fewer cards
than other games. If the table has seven players, the dealer will deal a
total of 17 cards. Most other games require more cards. In a traditional
poker game, a dealer would deal many more cards. The present invention
also requires fewer cards than modified poker games, such as the game
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,462 to Breeding which requires 23 cards
with seven players. Because the present invention requires fewer cards, it
is more profitable to the casino. Fewer cards require less time to deal
which results in less time per game. More games can be played in a given
time period which increases the casino 's income and profit.
Turning to the flowchart of FIG. 2, a typical game is begun by preparing
for play as represented by block 40. This may include clearing the table
of cards and shuffling a deck of cards. The players will then place a
wager on hand-wager positions 28a-g and 30a-g, block 42. At decision block
44 each player must decide whether or not to make a card-wager. If they
wish to make a card-wager, the player will place a wager on one or more of
card-wager regions 32, 34, and 36, otherwise the player will wait for the
dealer to deal the cards. Once all of the players have placed their
wagers, the dealer will deal the cards and the cards will be placed face
down so that their value is hidden, block 46. In the preferred embodiment,
three cards are dealt to the dealer and two cards are dealt to each
player. However, other combinations are possible. The dealer's cards are
common to each player's hand. Together the dealer's and each player's
cards will form a five card poker hand for each player.
In block 48 the first dealer card will be revealed. Alternatively, the
first dealer card may be dealt face up so that it is revealed immediately.
In decision block 50, the value of the first dealer card is used to
determine the outcome of the card-wager if the player placed a card-wager
on one or more of card-wager regions 32, 34, and 36. If the dealer's first
card falls within the range of values chosen by the player, the player
will win and the player shall be paid the appropriate payout, block 52. If
the dealer's first card is not in the range of values chosen by the
player, the player loses his wager and the house collects the wager, block
54.
Once the card-wagers have been resolved, the dealer will reveal (turn face
up) the second dealer card which was dealt to dealer card area 20, block
56. At this point the players have the option to withdraw their second
hand-wager which was placed in hand-wager positions 30a-g, decision block
58. Each player is permitted to look at their cards which are in player
card areas 24a-g and 26a-g. Therefore, the player knows four out of the
five cards which will make up the player's poker hand. If a player
determines that the odds of having a winning poker hand are poor, the
player will probably withdraw his optional wager, block 60. If a player
determines that the odds of having a winning poker hand are good, the
player will probably not withdraw his optional wager. Regardless of each
player's decision, the players are not allowed to remove their first
hand-wager which was placed on hand-wager positions 28a-g.
In block 62, the dealer reveals that the third and last dealer card which
was dealt to dealer card area 22. At this point the dealer can determine
if each player hand is a winning hand and can resolve their wagers. If a
player has a winning hand, the player may be paid according to a standard
poker pay table. Pay tables are well known in the art and many variations
are possible. The following is one possible example:
______________________________________
Poker Hand Pay Player
______________________________________
Royal Flush 100-1
Straight Flush 50-1
4 of a Kind 25-1
Full House 10-1
Flush 6-1
Straight 4-1
3 of a Kind 3-1
2 - Pair 2-1
Pair of 8's or better
1-1
______________________________________
A bonus may also be paid for certain specified hands.
FIGS. 3 and 4 disclose a second embodiment of the present invention. This
embodiment utilizes a table layout which is similar to the first
embodiment discussed in FIGS. 1 and 2. Table 70 is provided with player
positions 72a-g and dealer position 74. Chip area 76 is provided for the
dealer's chips, tokens, coins, or bills. There are three dealer card areas
78, 80, and 82 for receiving the dealer's cards. As in the first
embodiment, dealer card area 78 may be slightly removed from card area 80
and 82 to indicate the special nature of the card dealt to this position.
This card will be used to determine each player's hand-wager. Each player
has two card positions 84a-g and 86a-g for receiving player cards. Each
player also has hand-wager positions 88a-g, 90a-g, and 92a-g for receiving
the player's hand-wagers. Card-wager regions 94, 96, and 98 are for
receiving each player's optional card-wager. The most significant
difference between the first and second embodiments is the presence of an
additional hand-wager position. The second embodiment allows each player
to place three hand-wagers instead of two.
As seen in FIG. 4, the game of the second embodiment begins by preparing
for play. In this stage, the table is cleared of cards and the deck of
cards may be shuffled. Each player then places his hand-wagers, block 112,
in the second embodiment each player may place up to three wagers, the
second and third wagers are optional, but the first wager is required.
Each player will then decide whether or not to place a card-wager, block
114. In block 116, the dealer deals the cards which as in the preferred
embodiment will be three to the dealer and two to each player. Next, the
dealer will reveal the first dealer card which was dealt to dealer card
area 78, block 118. The dealer then examines each player's card-wager, if
the player placed a card-wager, block 120. If the card dealt to dealer
card area 78 fell within the range chosen by the player, the player will
be paid, block 124. If the dealer's first card was not within range chosen
by the player, the house collects the player's wager, block 122.
At this point, the player will decide whether or not to remove the first
hand-wager, block 126. Each player knows his own two cards and can see the
first dealer card which was revealed in block 118. Based on the player's
own determination of the chances of success, the player may remove the
first hand-wager, block 128, or keep it in play. In block 130, the dealer
then reveals the second dealer card which was dealt to dealer card area
80. Each player now knows four of the five cards which will make up the
player's final poker hand. At this point, each player will decide whether
or not to remove the second hand-wager or keep it in play, blocks 132 and
134. The dealer then reveals the third and last dealer card, block 136,
and will resolve each of the player's wagers based on a pay table, block
138.
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